Us Senate & House

Pelosi latest stealth celeb to campaign in the 5th BY MICHAEL PUFFER REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

WATERBURY — U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was the featured speaker at a quiet dinner fundraiser for Elizabeth Esty's congressional campaign Wednesday night.

Esty didn't seek attention for the event. No press releases or statements were issued. Her campaign would release no photographs. When questioned, Esty spokesman Jeb Fain said only that Esty was happy for the support.

This year has seen plenty of political celebrities drop in on the 5th District, one of the most closely-contested congressional races in the nation. Most have come, like Pelosi, for quiet fundraisers, where a relatively small number of party faithful dole out large sums for lunch or dinner with a big-name politician.

So far, Republican nominee Andrew Roraback, a state senator from Goshen, seems to be running ahead in numbers of star political backers.

Roraback's Oct. 9 fundraiser with U.S. House Speaker John Boehner was nearly as quiet as Pelosi's visit. Reporters were not allowed into the Hartford Club for the event, which injected a badly needed $50,000 into Roraback's coffers. Roraback's campaign also could not release a photo of the two men together.

U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor headlined another low-exposure fundraiser for Roraback in Greenwich on Oct. 14. Three days later, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger held a fundraiser for Roraback in New York.

Scott Benjamin, a political science professor at Western Connecticut State University, said he's surprised that more nationally known Democrats haven't appeared for Esty.

"Maybe they have some polling that shows Esty is in a strong position and they are deploying their resources elsewhere," Benjamin said.

Then again, most of these celebrity visits have been about raising money and rallying wealthy troops behind closed doors. And Esty doesn't seem to need much help. She has raised $2.7 million to Roraback's $1.1 million.

And, it's not as if Esty hasn't captured the attention of the national party. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had poured $1 million into advertising supporting her as of Sept. 30. And the big names are starting to arrive.

Pelosi was first. U.S. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, the second-ranking Democrat in the House, will appear next Wednesday at a fundraiser at a Hartford residence.

Esty will appear on stage with former President Bill Clinton in Waterbury on Sunday, when the Democratic sensation headlines a rally for U.S. Rep. Christopher Murphy's Senate campaign.

This isn't the first time Clinton has jumped into the 5th District campaign. He cut a last-minute "robocall" for Dan Roberti, then Esty's rival, a day ahead of the Aug. 14 primary.

Roberti, a relative political unknown before the race, lost the primary to Esty by a nearly 2-1 margin. That drubbing came despite a near-even contest in fundraising and a string of celebrity endorsements, including Clinton's. Revered political strategist James Carville, former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy and New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney also endorsed Roberti.

Despite some hard jabs in the primary, Roberti has since appeared as an Esty supporter. He held a sign for her outside the Warner Theatre in Torrington just prior to a debate last week, and talked up the merits of her candidacy.

If ties to political celebrities bring benefits to a candidate, they also can make the candidate vulnerable to attack. Both Roraback and Esty claim independent and centrist credentials, but appearing with polarizing leadership figures has allowed some to question that independence.

Esty's campaign used Boehner's visit to drive home the accusation that Roraback will be a cog in a "tea party" machine. And, with Pelosi's visit, turnabout may be fair play.

Gary Rose, head of the Department of Government and Politics at Sacred Heart University, said Pelosi's appearance is especially interesting given Esty's image as a moderate. Still, people like Pelosi do energize the base, he said.

"And the base is important to get out," Rose said. "I still think Elizabeth needs to do a better job energizing her base."

Ultimately, endorsements and appearances by popular politicians aren't likely to swing an election, said Bejamin. He agreed with Rose that these appearances and endorsements are more about raising campaign cash and boosting the morale of party stalwarts who do the heavy lifting essential to campaigns.

"I don't know how many people in the general electorate really pay attention," Benjamin said. "I think it's more about fundraising, and it really keeps the interest of your volunteers."

Post a reader comment

We encourage your feedback and dialog. Please be civil and respectful.If you're witty, to the point and quotable, your reader comments may also be included on the Around the Towns page of The Sunday Republican. Readers must be registered and logged in to post comments on the site. Registration is free. Click Here to register.
A Subscription is not required to post comments only a Registration.